Monks light thousands of candles at the Swayambhunath temple above Kathmandu, Nepal.

Swayambhunath: Nepal Temple lights up the sky

Monks light up the night at this Nepal temple

Monks light up the night at this Nepal temple

This series gives you a first-seat ticket to the unique event celebrating the birthday of the Gyalwa Karmapa, an important figure within Tibetan Buddhism, at the elaborate ceremony at the Nepal temple of Swayambhunath. Towering on a hill above Kathmandu, the temple literally lights up the sky as the monks who live here light thousands of candles in celebration of this event — where Martin got unique access to capture these up-close photographs and portraits with the temple teens for a travel photography story.

Photographs published in several travel magazines, and represented by National Geographic Image Collection.